Allison and I were in Barbados for just a quick layover before and after our sailing trip to St. Lucia, Grenada and St. Vincent but it was long enough for us to eat at Cuz's three times in our less than 48 hour stay. It is everything that I love about food - local, fresh, authentic and affordable.
It's a tiny blue stand located in the parking lot between the Radisson and Hilton hotels right off the beach. You can't miss it because there is always a huge line for it and you will have to wait no matter what time you get there - although if you get there after 12pm, you will be sure to wait at least 30-45 minutes. Why the wait? It's because this place is run by 1 adorable old lady who cooks everything made to order right in the shack. There's no menu - just order the fish sandwich. I would recommend that you order it with a fried egg and cheese. Yes, that's right, I said fish with egg and cheese. Believe me, you can't go wrong. She also sometimes has a roti available and if she does, jump on that one as well.
On our 1st time there, we got the standard fish, egg and cheese ($11 Barbados dollars, which is roughly $5.50 USD). The flying fish cutter (as it's known) is enormous, so be ready to eat. It's a huge piece of flying fish that is battered and fried up with some local spices, then she puts a delicious fried egg and a thick slice of a sharp white cheddar like cheese, topped with fresh lettuce and tomato and sandwiched between 2 pieces of salt bread. The gooey-ness of the egg and cheese is fantastic and it just somehow really works with the fish. The bread is soft and holds in all the juices and flavor of the fish and cheese. The 2nd time we went there, I overheard a customer ordering a chicken roti and we just had to get it. These actually were pre-made and she microwaves it to get it warm but none the less, it was an amazing chicken and potato roti. The roti itself was paper thin but held in tremendous amount of curry flavored potato and chicken. It reminded me of an Indian style burrito. Alas when I wanted to get another one the 3rd time we went there, she ran out! In total, Allison and I had the fish sandwich 3 times and each time they were delicious but different at the same time. The 2nd one was almost twice at large with 2 fish fillets in there and then 3rd time, the fish didn't seem battered or fried, but more on the grilled side. Regardless, they were all amazing each time and it really makes you appreciate how individualized each one is made - they are definitely not being churned out of a machine. She also has a variety of local hot sauces to put on your sandwich, so if you like it spicy, don't miss out on the bottles in front of the ledge.
The only reason I am not giving it 5 forks is because the wait can be painfully long and especially in the hot sun, so I can see why many people just give up and leave. Plus the menu is really limited to just 1 item. But it's still a must go in Barbados, especially if you're looking for affordable authentic food.
No comments:
Post a Comment